


Crimson Requiem

by LadyStarwing



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Also Queen Camilla because Leo ain't ready for a crown, Gen, Post-Birthright, also there's Wolfskin, because well again half the pairing is dead, might be more to this verse but for now this threeshot is all I'm willing to post, the ship has been tagged but it only comes up in chapter three, this is another thing that's been in my head for a while, yes Xander is tagged but he's deceased
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-28
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-24 22:28:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10751076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyStarwing/pseuds/LadyStarwing
Summary: Leo planned on many things after the war with Hoshido was lost.Encountering a half-feral nephew was not such a plan. [15 years post birthright]





	1. Siegbert

A heavy sigh left Prince Leo's mouth as he headed towards the temporary holding tent, resisting every urge to rub his temples in frustration with the current situation. He had come with a small force to a remote area of Nohr on word of brigand activity, but upon poking into the forest that the purported bandits had lived in, only found a group of quite irate garou. Apparently the brigands had gotten too close to the pack's summer 'dens' and had been taken care of already.

Leo had been willing to leave the encounter at that and gone home, but one of his men had let out a frantic shout and lunged at the garou. Why, Leo supposed he would discover soon – it had turned into a small squabble that had only ended when he had invoked Brynhildr's might to make the forest bind everyone in place and chase the garou back into their forest, only to reveal the soldier that had shouted had a hold of a teenager.

A _human_ teenager.

With a breath through his nose, Leo came to a stop outside of the tent, russet eyes looking towards the guards. “Has our guest settled down?” he asked, earning a weak cough from the one on the right. The one on the left, his long-standing retainer Zero, gave a shrug that was belied by the frown on his face.

“He's not pacing anymore, if that's what you mean, but well … the kid responded to Toby's attempts to bind him in place by biting him. Hard.” the now-named Toby let out a sigh and nursed a bandage on his left forearm, green eyes glancing warily at the tent behind him.

“I'd say muzzle the kid, Milord,” Toby admitted, only to hop away from the tent when a low growl emitted from the canvas walls. Leo felt the corner of one mouth twitch up in a wan smile at that.

“And I would recommend watching your volume,” he chastised, unable to hide his amusement, “one doesn't live long in the woods like this without having the hearing of a garou, after all.”

“Or a bite that's as bad as their bark,” Zero added in with a laugh, stance relaxing as Leo approached the tent flap. When his lord was near him, however, the white-haired male's voice dropped down for Leo's ears alone. “Still, we don't know if this kid has much to tell us … or how long until his friends come back to fetch him, with bigger dogs.”

“That depends on how stubborn our guest is about explaining things; I just want to know what happened to the brigands, and what all they were hoarding when the garou got to them,” Leo admitted in an equally low voice before he entered the tent, letting the flap fall heavily into place behind him.

A part of Leo's mind found it bleakly humorous that Zero had specified 'bigger' dogs, considering the size of the teenager he now looked at. Russet eyes were met by steady garnet, fierce over a scowling mouth and framed by a wild mane of flame red hair. The boy was dressed like the garou as well; black breeches and vest with a white shirt and no-nonsense calf-high boots, and a short, copper-colored hooded cape on his shoulders. His gloves were fingerless, and a glance at his hands showed that the nails were sharpened like his adopted family's claws.

Frankly, Leo wagered it was a miracle Toby had only been bitten and not clawed as well.

Pushing the matter aside, Leo nodded his head to the teenager and gestured to one of the chairs that was settled by a table. “Sit, please,” he began, breaking the tension that he could feel building. It was likely that his guest would take an attempt to approach him as a threat, and while Leo's armor was strong, he didn't doubt that there would be a swipe at his exposed face if the need arose.

The prince thanked whatever spirit of fortune was watching him when the teenager did as asked, although his wary eyes didn't once leave Leo's face. Waiting until his guest was settled – or at least, as settled as he could be in the situation – Leo took the chair across from him and folded his hands on top of the small table. “May I have a name, please?” He began, not knowing how else to start.

With a shift in his seat, the teenager's garnet eyes glanced around the tent warily before refocusing on Leo. “... Siegbert.” He responded, voice startlingly soft in comparison to the harsh snarls and bark-like tones Leo had heard escape his throat. The name itself also made Leo pause – it was an _old_ name, one with ties to Nohrian royalty. What was a feral child doing with such a name?

Leo pushed the thought aside before it distracted him from what he _wanted_ to ask the now-named Siegbert. “Alright then, Siegbert,” he began again, a snap of his fingers summoning forth a blank tome and a writing quill. “I apologize for my men's … sudden grab at you, but I assure you that you will be unharmed and returned to your family shortly.” That seemed to relax the teenager, as his shoulders and hackles began to lower. “But, that group of brigands whose camp you had found was what we were hear to investigate, so I would like to know what happened to them so I can report back to the Queen.”

If Leo hadn't been as alert as he was, he would have missed the way Siegbert seemed to stiffen at the mention of the queen. As it was, he had to bite his tongue to keep from pressing it when Siegbert opened his mouth to respond. “Oh, them? Dead.”

The bluntness made Leo sigh – he should have expected as much. “And the bodies?”

“Put them in a grotto a small ways away from the main paths and the villages. Don't want the bears to get to them, so we buried them deep enough the only things that'll eat them are the trees.” Siegbert seemed to relax as he spoke more, his voice still soft. There was an odd accent that Leo couldn't fully place, but it wasn't important as of now.

“Fair enough, I suppose – my sister will be relieved to hear that the problem was resolved so swiftly … if a bit heavy-handed,” he nodded, jotting down the report in the tome as he spoke. “We heard that they had looted a nearby town – did you or your kin see anything of note?”

“Remains of a roast pig meal and a small purse of gold, but that's about it.” Siegbert gave a shrug. “Either they buried the rest of it around the woods, or they were terrible at their 'jobs'.” The dry comment earned a snort from Leo that was followed by a pang in his heart – if he hadn't known better, he could have sworn he was hearing a report from Xander.

His professional expression must have faltered for a second, because Siegbert shifted and let out a small cough. “Too crass?” He asked, making Leo glance up at the teenager. The look of worry was hauntingly familiar, and it almost made him stare before he caught himself.

“No – it was rather amusing, in all honesty,” He replied, letting the tome close with a snap – he would add more if they discovered any additional stolen goods. Russet eyes returned to _properly_ study Siegbert, the beginning of a pit forming in his stomach.

It wasn't unusual for a human to be with garou in the mainland parts of Nohr – far from it, as the wolfskin without packs would often settle in the remote farming villages – but there was still something _off_ about the teenager in front of him that Leo felt the need to press for details. “If you don't mind, I'd like to inquire more about you as a person,” he began, noticing the way Siegbert's hackles began to lift again. “Lazlow is not one for randomly grabbing out at people, after all. Have you encountered him before?”

“Can't say I have,” Siegbert gave a shake of his head, his mane of hair obscuring his face briefly. There was a hasty shove to get it out of his face, and Leo felt the pit only grow more. “I've mostly stuck to the areas around here and the human town nearby; it's small enough you learn most everyone's faces, and his was a new one.”

A bitter smile crossed Leo's face, and he leaned back in his chair, “I see ...” he mumbled, eyes going to the tent's roof for a moment. “Do you live in the village or with the garou proper?”

“Lived with the pack proper my entire life.”

The pit deepened once again, and Leo wished he could slap himself without seeming touched in the head. Why in all the hells was he seeing his long-dead older brother in this child?! Especially from such nonsensical cues that could have easily just been part of the child regardless.

But at the same time, Lazlow was normally _far_ more composed, so for him to let out a frantic shout and try to grab Siegbert …

Giving a shake of his head, the blond prince let his gaze fall back to Siegbert's face, staring with an intensity that seemed to set the boy's hackles up. The teenager was on the brink of puberty, if Leo had to guess – there was a sharpness to his eyes that wasn't native to Nohr, and his nose was smaller, but apart from from that and the wild, flame red hair …

The boy's resemblance to Xander at that age was almost uncanny.

Leo closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, not knowing _what_ to think or feel at that point in time. It made almost no sense – Xander had never once given any indication of a lover, let alone much anything else beyond his duties as crown price. He had performed the role flawlessly, to the point that the monster who had _dared_ to pose as their father exploited it and claimed Xander's life as a prize in its horrible game.

And yet …

The sound of Siegbert shifting in his chair and letting out a weak cough made Leo focus on him again, with far less intensity than before. Leo couldn't blame him – he was probably anxious to return to his family. “... One last inquiry – were you adopted by the garou, or do your human parents still live?”

Siegbert's entire body stiffened at that, and Leo knew that he had tread across a line too glaring for his suspicions to be anything but correct. Still, he tried to remain placid and patient while he waited for the boy to respond. “... My father died during the war between Hoshido and Nohr before I was born. My mother was pregnant with me when the pack took her in; she's still alive.”

The timeline lined up.

Leo didn't like the way the pit in his stomach had opened into a canyon as the reality began to sink into his head. This child was _Xander's,_ hidden from the rest of Nohr with a pack of garou on the fringes of the nation. If word of this became too widespread, the rumors would begin to spring up, wondering what else might have been hidden beneath the royal family's tumultuous and bloodstained past. While the populace fully accepted Camilla as the queen, with her eldest daughter as the heir apparent, a child of the late crown prince would make things so much more painfully complex …

He cursed himself for prying instead of letting a sleeping dog lie.

There was an unexpected heaviness to his heart when Leo gave a nod of understanding. “I see – I'll have to speak to Lazlow on tact, then. There were … heavy losses on our side during the war, and you might have just reminded him of a friend he lost,” the prince explained, watching to make certain Siegbert's hackles were lowered before he thought about getting up. It took a few moments for the teen to visibly relax, but Leo could still see the caution in the garnet eyes watching him.

“I think he spooked the others more than me, honestly. If the fighting had gone on much longer, I could have broken free.” Siegbert gave a nod, shifting in his seat once again. Leo didn't doubt the boy's claims, both on the grounds of his childhood with the garou and the strength he had clearly inherited from his father.

“And I'm certain Toby would back up that as well – was biting him necessary?” Leo questioned, amusement in his voice.

“His own fault for not knowing when his behavior can get taken as a challenge … or for trying to grab me by the collar.” Siegbert gave a shrug that was offset by a half smile, a flash of white teeth catching Leo's eye. The prince was quite certain that, if it were to come to a contest of raw strength to keep the boy in the camp, they would lose.

“Fair enough, then – I'll have to speak with some of the garou in the capital if they're willing to give lectures on body language with their tribe,” Leo let a small laugh leave him at that thought as he stood up. “For now, though, it's time you returned home – it would be … rather bad if your packmates were to come storming out here to look for you.”

“Velouria alone would be bad enough on her own, honestly,” Siegbert nodded as he got up as well – Leo noted with a bitter jab that the boy was already up to his nose, and would only get taller in time. “Ah, she was the largest of the littermates with me, to clarify which one she was.”

Leo grimaced – he had noticed that the garou weren't fully grown, but from the way Siegbert called them 'littermates', they had to be his age. “Yes, that would be bad, especially if she decided to enlist help from the adults – I'd rather not have my men find out how sharp a garou's teeth can be when properly angered and not merely defensive.” He opened the tent flap as he spoke, and Siegbert took the gesture with a grateful smile as he walked out of the tent, Leo exiting behind him. The prince waved off Zero's questioning look, the white-haired male clearly suspicious of what had transpired within the tent. Thankfully, he had enough sense not to pry, and kept to his position as his lord and their half-feral guest left the area.

The walk to the forest's edge was silent, but Leo was aware a lot of the troops were focused on Siegbert as they walked. If it was because they were merely curious to the wolf-boy's habits and presence, or if it was because they could pick up on the resemblance to Xander as well, Leo didn't dare to dwell on. Siegbert himself seemed uneasy by the attention, and Leo could see tension in his shoulders the further they walked.

Needless to say, both of them heaved a sigh of relief when they reached the line of trees that marked the garou's forest. “Before you go,” Leo began, “I would request that you inform your pack leader that my men and I will be lingering here for a few days more; we will need to see if there was any stolen goods left buried around here before we return to the capital with the report.”

Siegbert gave an understanding nod at that. “Fair enough – Matron Velvet will understand that,” he complied. “... Just … don't hunt more game than needed, please – it's birthing season for the elk, so there's a lot of pregnant does around. Too many bucks die all at once, and they leave the woods, and they don't return for months on end.”

“I will pass along the word to my men, then.” Leo gave a nod back; he considered the terms reasonable. “Safe travels.”

He wished he could have thought of more to say in farewell, but Leo supposed it was for the best that he didn't when Siegbert gave a nod and vanished into the greenery with nary a word in response.

 


	2. Genealogy

Sleep eluded him, making Leo groan and sit up in his tent cot as his mind went over the afternoon's events once more.

He had, by pure accident and obstinate luck on Lazlow's part, found out a secret Xander had taken to his grave.

It wasn't _too_ strange to think about in hindsight, at least. Rumors and spies were everywhere in the Nohrian court, the most transparent of which having been Iago. Leo didn't doubt that the man would have been low enough to take a pregnant woman and use her as leverage against his brother, let alone whatever the monster of a king would have allowed to happen.

Xander had quite likely kept his romantic life hidden solely for the sake of his lover's safety, and the thought made Leo grimace all the more.

“Of all the things he had to be denied ...” He thought with a huff and got out of his cot; he couldn't sleep with his mind preoccupied by this massive revelation. An overcoat and long boots were pulled on over his nightclothes to keep him safe from the bite of early spring air, and he slid a simple Ruin tome – a gift from Odin, elder magic from his homeland – into a pocket. There were Dragon's Veins around the forest if he was truly desperate, but in all reality, the simpler dark magic would suffice.

Waving to the guards stationed around camp, he began to walk aimlessly, using the light of a half-full moon to guide his steps while his mind was sorting through the knowledge he had obtained … and the parts of it that were still missing.

Siegbert had born too much resemblance to Xander – it was impossible to deny their shared bloodline. But there was the few things Leo had found off in his encounter with his nephew that made him pause. The boy had claimed his mother still lived … but there had been no indication given as to who she _was._

'At the least', Leo thought with a sigh, 'she seems to have been open with Siegbert about his heritage.'

It was the only way to explain the way the teenager had stiffened and flinched when he had; he was aware of his royal bloodline, and perhaps was even frightened of it. Leo couldn't blame him, all things considered; even though he had only turned thirty-four recently, the prince felt years older after all he had seen as a child and teenager. Siegbert's mother had probably cautioned him to be careful with his words when asked about his family, and for that, Leo applauded the unknown woman; the answers had been truthful in spite of the vagueness, and would hold up to scrutiny from most anyone.

Leo, however, was not 'most anyone'.

He paused with a sigh, taking a moment to gauge his surroundings. A bitter laugh left him when he saw he was once more at the forest, staring into the trees and the gloom that resided beneath them. “It'll be hard to keep from lingering in here when it comes time to return ...” he thought with a sigh, even as his body moved forward to walk into the trees.

The earth and wood seemed to hum around him, as if sensing his bond to Brynhildr. The tome was back in Leo's tent, but his control over magic was good enough that he could control a small portion of its earth manipulating powers away from it. It was a great strain, however, and he more oft than not made a mess of things if he did so. Still, he took comfort in the woods' recognition of the power he held, and he could sense the Dragon's Veins that pulsed slowly beneath the ground.

Moonlight didn't reach through the thick boughs, however, forcing Leo to sigh as he waited for his eyes to adjust to the thicker shadows. His thoughts took the chance to steer back to his hidden nephew, and puzzled over the boy's features in his mind's eye once again.

Siegbert's height was all his father's, of that Leo was dead certain; the boy was also starting to show a bit of the same broad build too, but that was still difficult to gauge at the brink of puberty. However, apart from that, the rest of the boy's features seemed muddier and harder to pin on Xander alone. The eye color at least could be traced to Xander's mother, if the portraits of her Leo had seen had been accurate at all.

But that was about all that made sense from fraternal lineage – Siegbert's build had a smaller torso in exchange for longer legs, but both that and they boy's smaller nose weren't unheard of for a Nohrian native.

His eye shape and the burning red hair, however, _were._

Leo frowned at that; the eye shape could easily point to a mother native to Nestra, but why would she traverse to inland Nohr instead of staying with the unborn child in her native land? The smaller nation was independent, and not even _Hoshido_ would be so dense as to attack a Nohrian royal in neutral territory, especially not if the boy's heritage was dubious. Of course, the woman could have grown frightened by the fighting and insisted on traveling back to Nohr with her lover, only for Xander to grow more cautious and have her hidden away until the fighting was done and he could bring her to court as his wife and queen.

Apart from that, it was a solid claim with one major detractor; as far as Leo could tell, natives to Nestra had either black or dark violet hair, befitting their original heritage as nomadic desert dwellers.

So that left the flame red hair as the biggest mystery. It might have possibly come from Queen Katerina's side – the woman had been dead before Leo's birth, so he didn't know her and didn't wish to pry into his brother's business. But at the same time, the chances were _incredibly_ long that it would skip at least two generations before resurfacing in Siegbert, not after his father and both of his father's parents had been blonde.

Leo cursed his analytical nature as he focused back on the world around him.

Only to all but leap out of his skin when a pair of copper-colored eyes came into focus a few feet in front of him.

His hand flew to the pocket with the Ruin tome, fingers on the spine when a soft, feminine chuckle cut through the still air. “A bit late for a stroll through the woods, isn't it?” An equally soft female voice queried, and Leo focused at the area around the copper eyes. It took some strain, but he could make out a feminine form in the gloom as she stood before him.

“Then that raises the question of why you are up and about so late as well, madam,” he replied curtly, both ashamed for being caught off guard and flustered from how well she was able to sneak up on him without his notice.

“Oh, that's a simple enough answer,” the shadowed woman responded, “I'm from the pack – Matron Velvet asked me to send word that she heard of the situation, and if you need any assistance in the forest, she's wiling to help. The scum had tried to make pets out of a couple of yearlings.”

Leo gave a nod, although his hand remained settled on the spine of his tome. “That explains why the younger members of the pack were out and about in the area, then,” he responded, only to frown a moment later. “Your pack matron had you deliver this message in the dead of night!?”

“In her defense, garou don't have a full grasp on what humans consider a 'normal' time for some things,” the woman responded. “Plus, we didn't know how early you would be rising – I would have merely passed word onto one of your guards if you were still abed.”

“... Fair enough, then ...” Leo admitted, only to scowl – even for a native Nohrian, the darkness was far too much strain on his eyes. The woman had to have lived in these woods for at least a few years to manuver so well in this gloom. “Forgive me, madam, but I need a light ...” He began to murmur the incantation for a simple fire spell, and closed his eyes when he felt the magic condense in his palm to form a small orb of light to avoid blinding himself.

The sight he saw upon opening them, however, almost made him drop the orb in his shock.

Before him stood a woman that would only reach his chin if she stood against him, and although she dressed like one of the garou, there were no ears atop her head, and no tail swishing about her knees. Her arms were folded beneath her bust as she stood, and her red cloak was long and trimmed with white bear fur, the hood pulled up over her head to obscure her facial features but her copper eyes. A small dagger hung from her corset, and Leo could make out the outline of boot knives against the leather of her thigh high boots.

Clearly, he had found Siegbert's mother.

She seemed aware of this, as she gave him a grin that was all teeth. “Seen a ghost, or did you not expect to see me so soon after meeting my son?” The tone was teasing, and it was enough to ground Leo back in the moment and glare at the woman. Her eyes softened, and her stance relaxed. “I do apologize for startling you, but I wasn't expecting to encounter anyone from your group until I left the forest. I called out and questioned you once or twice, but you seemed lost in thought.”

“... I was, to be frank,” Leo admitted, dropping his hand to let the orb of light hover between the two of them. “The encounter with your son ...” He began, only to sigh and shake his head. He wasn't going to cower away, not when he had only half the truth and wouldn't be around long enough to figure the rest of it out on his own. “No, _my nephew_ – even if it took my late brother's retainer to recognize him as he is. A few more years, however, and even Camilla'd have recognized him without a second thought.”

To his surprise, the woman didn't flinch or bolt when he had claimed Siegbert as a relative. If anything, it seemed to remove what little tension was left in her form, her copper eyes softening and her hands gripping her elbows. “... He looks more like his father every day, doesn't he?” She let out a bitter laugh, a sad sigh leaving her mouth behind it. “Fourteen years old this past May, and already Xander's spitting image … it makes it hard, sometimes.”

“You never kept his heritage secret?” Leo blinked, surprised.

“Xander asked the pack to keep me safe when I told him I was with child – they don't care about his bloodline or mine, so it's never been brought up. As far as the village and other garou packs are concerned, Siegbert and I are part of Matron Velvet's family.” The woman gave a nod, only for her eyes to look to the ground between them. “... and I couldn't bring myself to hide knowledge of Xander from Sieg, not when the two never got to meet.”

Leo let out a contemplative hum at her answer before he nodded; that answered a couple of questions he had; the garou, while they did serve the Nohrian crown if they were pressed, were largely indifferent to the intricacies of human inheritance. The pack's matron was either friendly with Xander, or merely owed him a favor if she took in his lover and unborn child without a fuss and keep the two hidden for fifteen years after his passing. 'He probably asked them not to say a thing until he came for them,' Leo thought to himself. 'And the indifference of the garou pack means that they referred to Siegbert as one of their own, so the human villages in contact with them would have to pay attention to him to suspect a connection … at least right now.'

However, that left a few questions still unanswered. “... Was Lazlow aware of this? He recognized Siegbert faster than I did.”

Copper eyes looked up into Leo's russet ones, and the woman let out a wry smile. “He knew Xander and I were involved, yes, but he wasn't present when I told Xander about my pregnancy. If he was informed later in private is something you'd have to ask him yourself, sadly.”

“Very well,” Leo nodded. “And Peri?”

“I think she knew about our tryst, yes, but not about the pregnancy.” The fact that this woman knew who Peri was lightened his heart a touch; she clearly had spent some time with Xander's retainers as well, and trusted them. “Before you ask, I did describe them as best as I could to Siegbert in case he was to encounter them – Lazlow about scared him out of his skin when he grabbed his arm earlier today.”

“... Was he afraid for his life?” Leo felt his heart twist into a knot at that. It wasn't an unreasonable fear, truly, but the idea still wounded him.

It seemed the woman recognized his pain, because the smile she offered him was bittersweet. “When word reached the pack that Xander was … dead by Hoshidan hands,” her voice grew tight at the last few words, making the knot in Leo's chest tighten, “I wasn't certain at the time if you would accept a widow you didn't know had even existed until that moment. Let alone a widow with an unborn child – I suspected the inheritance issue would have been worked out by the time I even reached the capital in my state, and it felt safer at the time to keep our existence hidden.” A pregnant pause followed that, and a pained look filled the woman's eyes. “... I'm sorry if my selfishness caused your family unnecessary grief.”

“You haven't,” Leo sighed, “It was a smart choice on your part – neither Camilla nor I would have wished you to travel to the court like that, especially not with Elise lost as well ...”

To his shock, the woman visibly recoiled at that. “Th – _she_ was claimed by the war too?!” Leo was surprised by the anguish in the woman's voice.

“... Did you meet Elise as well?” He asked; of all people, he didn't think that the woman would have known his younger sister …

Silence followed his question, one that lingered for a few moments before the woman drew a breath that shook. “Y … yes … I knew Elise, although not as well as I wished,” she admitted, “She … she saw Xander and I slip off in Nestra when we decided to have a night to forget and eloped. We hadn't planned on any witnesses, but well … her excited giggles and sobs were hard to miss even on opposite ends of the chapel.”

Leo had thought the pain in his heart couldn't have grown stronger, but the words he heard proved that notion wrong. An _elopement,_ one Elise had born witness to; Xander must have made her promise to keep her silence, one the youngest princess would have been all too happy to keep. If Leo knew his sister, she would have merely been overcome with joy to see her eldest sibling smile for the first time in who knew how many years.

A look at the woman who stood not five paces away from him made Leo's heart ache even more; he couldn't imagine how frustrating and heartbreaking it had to have been for her, kept on the sidelines of a war and unable to even comfort her husband … let alone say a proper farewell to him.

But, at the same time, the news did explain part of the perpetual gloom Leo had noticed clinging to his brother in the last few weeks he had seen Xander alive. At the time, he had merely thought that it was due to the betrayal of the one they had called sibling, but now … now Leo knew better. His brother's heart was tender beneath the armor and guarded glances, so being separated from his wife and unborn child had undoubtedly torn him apart inside as his duty dictated him to a cold grave far too early.

With a heavy breath, Leo let his hands clasp behind his back. “If … it's not too much to ask, madam … I would like to get a better look at your face.” He stated, making coppery eyes that were filled to the brim with tears meet his russet ones. “I understand if you refuse, but … I want to know the woman who brought my brother some sort of comfort in his life, and not just by a voice.”

There was a hesitance, one that made doubts stir in the back of Leo's head, but the woman gave a nod and lifted her hands to her hood. “There's no point in hiding myself now, is there ...” a bitter laugh laced her words, but all questions that it raised soon died in Leo's throat as the hood fell back and onto the woman's shoulders.

Flame red hair shot through with white fell around a tired face, the thick waves cropped short to form a chin length bob as those copper eyes watched him from beneath the fringe. Her mouth was flat despite the waver that came with fighting back tears, and faint lines were beginning to form near the corners of eyes that were sharper in shape than her son's.

Leo felt his stomach knot along with his heart, vague familiarity stirring in the back of his brain. He _knew_ this woman's face, he knew he did!

His confusion must have been visible, because the woman let out a sad laugh and a shake of her head. “Why am I surprised? It's been fifteen years since you and I last saw one another in Cheve, and even then, that was the only meeting we had relatively face to face until now ...”

“C- cheve?” Leo blinked, trying to recall the event she was talking about. “The last time I was there, it was to help Camilla out when she challenged the --” His breath deserted him, and he stared at the woman in wide-eyed shock.

Fifteen years ago, her hair hadn't been that long, and she had stood on the battlefield across from him in Hoshidan red and white, the fiercest of frowns on her face.

Fifteen years ago, there had been blood on her weapon as she glared Camilla down, standing protectively between them and three younger siblings with fury in her eyes.

Fifteen years ago, the woman in front of him had been Princess Hinoka of Hoshido.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Really though, the mystery would have been a lot less obvious if Selena wasn't the ONLY REDHEAD NOT NATIVE TO HOSHIDO. 
> 
> Also one of only two redheaded girls in the first generation barring a redheaded Corrin. (Sakura's hair is pink that's different -- *shot*)


	3. Hinoka

“Xander and I met about seven years before the war started, when we were on separate border patrols,” Hinoka explained as she settled into a chair back in Leo's tent, her cloak hung on the back of it. “Both sides got pulled into handling a sudden Faceless attack, and we met on the battlefield that way – he came up from behind and startled me, so I jerked my naginata back on reflex.” A small laugh laced with nostalgia left her. “It took him shouting and cursing about how I broke his nose to realize I had hit a person, not another monster.”

Leo gave a dumb nod as he set about making tea, careful not to make a mess in his state. After the sheer shock of the revelation had worn off, the prince had insisted the woman had come with him to his tent to further explain things. The notion that his brother had kept a lover secret for the last few years of his life wasn't so shocking to Leo, but Xander having taken a _Hoshidan princess_ as said lover?!

Hells, that made Odin's favorite tale about a dracolitch the size of a mountain seem tame!

Frankly, Leo was amazed with himself for not having shouted out for the entire camp to hear when he had fully recognized Hinoka when she stood before him, but the urge had been there. A small part of his brain felt as if it had been hit by a point blank Mjolnir and was refusing to work, so the rest of his rationale was scrambling to make up for it.

When the tea water had been set to heat over a small flame, Leo sat across from Hinoka and offered her a bowl of breads and cheeses that had been left over from dinner. The woman seemed to dither for a moment before picking up a slice of both, chewing on them slowly as she waited for Leo to regain his wayward thoughts.

It took a moment more of Leo staring at her for the first question to leave him. “... Is Hoshdio aware you're here?”

Perhaps not the question to get him the most answers, but the one that sprang to the forefront of his mind as the most vital. A smaller part of his brain countered that it wasn't likely Hoshido would keep a spy in what amounted to the middle of nowhere in Nohr.

That part of his brain was echoed by the shake of Hinoka's head, her frown mirrored in her copper eyes. “No – I purposely made it look like I had fallen from my pegasus during a fight with … less than happy garou, and my body washed downstream,” her voice carried the same blunt tone as her son's, Leo noted. “As … as far as my brothers and sisters know, I died that day on Kaen Peak.”

“But that clearly isn't the case, since you are not only telling me this, but your son is quite clearly hale and healthy,” Leo responded, finding the pragmatic course a small comfort in spite of his confliction. If Hoshido believed the woman dead, then that was that.

“A younger garou had attacked me and killed my pegasus when she reared to try and stomp on him,” Hinoka explained, her eyes shifting to stare at her hands instead of Leo. “I rolled off and got up a few feet away, and apparently it was far enough away to keep the smell of fresh blood from masking the scent of pregnancy.”

“That was enough to stop a furious garou?”

Hinoka offered him a wan smile. “They love pups more than anything else; human or no, he refused to strike me down when I had a child in my belly. If anything, it seemed to anger him that Hoshido had me on the battlefield … until he realized I hadn't known it myself before he spoke of it.”

“But you suspected it, didn't you,” Leo prodded as he waved his hand, a hex to keep eavesdroppers at bay flowing from his fingers. He hadn't wanted too many rumors to begin with Siegbert's appearance, and he'd be _damned_ if they started from his carelessness when speaking to Hinoka.

“... A small part of me did, yes,” she responded with a tired sigh, taking the moment to pull off her gloves. A wedding band glinted on her ring finger when her hands were exposed, and she let her gaze soften as she looked at it. Leo glanced down as well, curious – it was a simple band with a small ruby set into the center of it, easily hidden beneath gloves if needed. Hinoka seemed to have noticed his look, for she shifted her hand closer to him to allow a better glance. “I told Xander he didn't have to bother, but Elise insisted when she saw we hadn't bought rings...”

Leo let a small snort leave him – that sounded like Elise. “He probably wanted to keep it as quiet as possible, but not even he could fully withstand Elise's prodding at times,” he admitted, cautiously taking a hold of Hinoka's hand to examine the ring closer. Then, he frowned. “... Xander was wearing his when he died; he had tied it to a ribbon and wore it across his wrist. A small enough change that when Camilla and I found it when helping prepare the body for the funeral, she thought it was his mother's.”

Hinoka recoiled in his touch as if Leo had stabbed her, and he dropped her hand in a rush to look at her face. She had turned away from him, and the man slapped himself mentally – that had been crass. “... I'm sorry.” He uttered, russet eyes locking onto the wooden table in shame. Of all the things for him to have said, it was _that_ ; her husband had died when she couldn't be there at his side to support him. His words, meant as a simple observation, were clearly just a cruel reminder of what the war had cost her and her unborn child.

And as if that hadn't been torturous enough for her, Leo wagered, Xander's death had been due in part to _her own family._ It was a chance Hinoka had to have been aware of, even back with the elopement.

Yet, they had exchanged vows all the same, with Elise as an unintentional witness.

That thought was another layer of pain and guilt Leo felt twist into his gut as he stole a glance at Hinoka; the woman hadn't moved much beyond shifting to press her lips against the wedding band, as if seeking solace from her husband through the action. Hinoka hadn't even been aware of Elise's death from the sound of it, not until he had told her in the forest; Leo couldn't bring himself to tell her the exact details of what had befallen his little sister.

Silence filled the tent until Leo heard the tea water perk, and got up to tend to it. “I … don't have much variation on tea flavors, sadly,” He mumbled in an attempt to break the silence he had brought down with his unfiltered words.

It seemed to work enough to stir Hinoka back to the living world, her copper eyes regaining some sort of light to them. “That .. that's fine – Takumi was always the one in the family who had the most knowledge on teas. As long as it was warm, I was content.” Her voice was soft, and if there had been any sort of ambiance from the outside world, Leo was certain he would have missed it.

“... Can I ask what you and Xander spoke of?” he asked as he poured a small cup full of tea for his guest. “Back when the two of you met, before the war?”

Hinoka was quiet for a moment as she took the tea from him, a soft tremble to her hands as a 'thank you' slipped from her lips. Leo let the silence linger as he seated himself with his own tea, half afraid the woman would flee into the night if he pressed too hard. He watched her take a drink, steadying her nerves before she drew a breath.

“We … didn't open up right away at first – understandably, as he was a Nohrian and I was Hoshidan,” she began. “Granted, I was the more vocal about that between the two of us … and yet I didn't even recognize him as the crown prince.” A laugh slipped out at that, bitter. “Though in my defense, he wasn't wearing a circlet right then, and hadn't picked up Siegfried quite yet. And I didn't bother to ask – I was … angry. Angry at Nohr, at my stepmother, at not having been able to save Corrin ...” Hinoka sighed, eyes looking down at the cup in between her hands. “... He didn't seem to mind though, or if he did, was able to work past it enough to try and calm me down.”

Leo gave a nod as he drank his tea. That sounded like something Xander would have done; after all, the man had more or less taken on the role of 'father' to his siblings around the time Elise had turned seven.

“After that, we … mostly just talked about our homelands,” Hinoka's voice brought him back to the present, and he looked to her. “Mostly about the festivals, and how the people made a living when the nations weren't consistently at one another's throats. It took a year or so before I would actually listen, but still …” A nostalgic smile came across her face. “It was so calming and simple, I loved it after a while. No need to worry about politics, or battle, or even what we thought of it all. A strange way to start a friendship, but … I didn't want to lose it.”

“... The fact that you were both royalty had to come up eventually,” Leo murmured, russet eyes seeking Hinoka's gaze. She met it for a moment, long enough for him to see sorrow.

“It took until I saw him wielding Siegfried in battle for the truth to come out,” the admittance was quiet, and her hands tightened on her cup of tea before she took another drink. “When we met up to talk after that, we had our first 'proper' argument as opposed to our silly squabbles over food and holidays. I thought it would have been the last time I saw him outside of the 'enemy's' side of the battlefield, but when I went to the small grotto in the canyon where we would talk, he was there.”

“My brother was every bit as scared of losing the friendship as you were, I'm certain,” Leo admitted, looking at his now-empty teacup. Hinoka gave a small chuckle.

“He was – we both gave our apologies … and began to talk about our families.” Copper eyes saddened, and she offered Leo a tired smile. “That includes … the situation you were all caught in. I almost didn't believe it at first, but … but the look in Xander's eyes was confirmation enough.” She took note of the grimace on Leo's face before her eyes returned to her hands. “I couldn't do anything else but hold him for a bit and grieve for it all. And … it was bad enough that I didn't think to ask about Corrin for years.”

Leo's grimace tightened – he didn't wish to dwell on the matter of the Nohrian court in his childhood. It had drastically improved in the time since then, largely due in part to Camilla's imposing build and her husband's … uncannily shrewd way of handling the court and keeping her spirits up. A part of him wanted to question _how_ Odin knew so much about handling a noble court, but Leo wagered it would only give him a headache in the long run.

A silence drifted between the two of them, neither fully certain how to break it. When Leo turned his gaze to Hinoka again, he thought about what he had known of her from before the war.

Nothing … truly stuck out.

There had been very few reports of her in battle before the war had formally broken out, and even during the war proper, Leo had only really heard of her after she had 'died' in a fight unconnected to Nohr's army. That perplexed him; she had shown skill on the battlefield as a warrior that night in Cheve, and one didn't last long in the Nohrian wilds with a garou pack if they were unskilled. Hells, the fact that she had managed to even fight while pregnant …

At that, he coughed weakly to break the silence. “... How far along were you when my brother entrusted you to the garou pack?”

To his relief, Hinoka didn't seem upset. “I couldn't have been much further along than a month and a half, two months at most; it's how much time had passed since Xander and I ...” a blush stole across her cheeks as she hastily finished her tea. Leo flushed as well and nodded, not wanting to dwell on his brother's personal affairs in that much detail. “He had shooed Elise off after she dogged us into exchanging rings, with Xander afraid that the king would notice her absence. The two of us meandered about the calmer district of the city for a while before deciding to retire for the night.”

“And parted ways in the morning, then.”

“Yes … although if I'm being honest, I didn't want to.” Hinoka's voice seemed even sadder at that, the woman unable to meet Leo's gaze. “I … I wanted him to stop fighting, to see if there was a way to resolve things peacefully. I knew it was a selfish, naive plea … but I didn't want to my husband to die.” her voice cracked at the end, and her grip on the teacup tightened Leo was afraid it'd shatter. “I … I asked him again when we were talking to the garou pack, I _begged_ for him to stop fighting. But … he just held me as tight as he could in his armor and apologized.”

Leo looked aside, a dagger lodged in his ribs and fury writhing in his stomach. The more he heard, the more he wanted to find whatever god had decided his brother's lot in life and reduce them to the tiniest cinders. Such a choice had quite likely been enough to break Xander's heart entirely, even if the news of a child had brought him any hope; duty called him away despite whatever his heart might have wanted, forcing a wall between the couple no matter what they had struggled to maintain.

Leo didn't doubt in the slightest Xander knew this, and knew that he wouldn't live to see the birth of his child.

It would have killed him every bit as much as Elise's death.

The sound of muffled sobs made him return to the present, a trace of guilt smothering the fury. All of the news was digging into wounds he had been able to heal to varying degrees, but he hadn't fully registered how raw they might have been for Hinoka. From the way she had buried her face in her hands, the pain was still very close to the surface, and Leo could understand why.

But he didn't know how to offer any comfort.

Camilla would have swept the woman up in a large hug, quite likely in tears herself, and done her best to soothe the pain away and also take the woman and her son back to Windmire. Leo wasn't his sister, however, and all he could manage was to reach out a hand and place it on Hinoka's shoulder as she fought to regain control. He had no words to comfort her grief, only quiet solidarity as his thoughts continued to roll about in his brain.

He didn't want to dare asking more questions about her relationship with Xander, even though so many more tumbled in his mind; when had she realized her feelings were romantic? Had she ever given any indication of her love life to the late Queen Mikoto, whom her elder brother had always held up as a pillar of integrity and peace? Why had she chosen the name she did for their son?

So many things he wanted to know and understand, but all of them things he felt were not his right to know.

Instead, Leo gave Hinoka's shoulder a squeeze. “... Do you really wish to remain here?”

A long pause followed, making him worry he had overstepped a boundary. He had opened his mouth to retract that question when Hinoka drew in a breath that shook. “... Yes.”

The simple statement made Leo blink, and he remained silent as Hinoka made eye contact once again. “It's not out of offense to you, or your sister – it's my own way of making up for what I failed to do back then … and to keep Hoshido from starting another war over my selfish choice.”

Leo felt a lead bar sink into his stomach. “You've taken this as a personal exile.”

“Exactly,” Hinoka admitted, her voice stern. “By Hoshidan law, my mere friendship with Xander was high treason. Marrying him and bearing him a son?” An empty smile crossed her face. “Even Ryoma would have faced long odds trying to keep me from execution; Siegbert would have been given to you and your sister, being the closest relatives to his father, but I wouldn't live to see his first birthday.”

“And do you really mean to keep your son with you in this exile?” the question had come out sharper than Leo had intended, but he didn't retract his words.

“No – it's customary with the garou for the pups to leave after a certain age and make their own lives,” Hinoka let a chuckle slip loose at that. “Technically, he's now old enough to do so if he wanted to. I haven't brought it up with him yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if he struck out for his own destination in life soon.” Another smile crossed her face after that, a genuine one. “He's taken a shine to one of the black pegasi that graze around here in the summer – I taught him what I could about riding, and he's a natural at it.”

Leo could hear the pride in her voice, and it wrung out a tired smile of his own. “Xander would say the same thing, I don't doubt.” He admitted. “... then again, he'd be proud of the boy no matter what – I have no doubt on that.”

Hinoka's eyes softened at that, nostalgia and longing flickering through her eyes. “Neither do I.”

Silence fell again, this one a trace more comfortable than the others. Leo reveled in it for a few moments before he let out a sigh. “... You should probably return to your home, then,” he muttered, to which Hinoka gave a nod and stood up. Leo followed her example, pickign up the empty teacups and setting them aside. “I'll walk you to the forest's edge, then; just to make certain nothing happens.”

There was an absent nod from Hinoka as she pulled her cloak back over her shoulders and lifted the hood over her face again. Leo bit his lip as he did the same, wondering how best to phrase his next statement. “... I'll have to tell Camilla about this, you know. About Siegbert – it would be disastrous if she only found out the boy lived because she encountered him on a military inspection one day.”

“I'm not surprised,” Hinoka admitted, her voice sounding years older than she looked. “... All I ask is that if she has any grief with the situation, have her take it out on me. Siegbert has no role in his father's fate.”

“Honestly, I think the most Siegbert would have to fear from his Aunt Camilla is incessant doting,” Leo drawled as he opened the tent flap for Hinoka to exit. “She's absolutely nauseating with her daughters at times, I'll say that much.” The comment earned him a quiet laugh, and a corner of his mouth twitched upwards for a half smile as he followed his sister-in-law through the camp. A glance to the horizon showed that the moon hung low in the sky, making him exhale heavily through his nose; the next morning was going to be rough …

No more words were spoken as they approached the trees, and Leo came to a halt at the forest's edge. Hinoka stopped a few paces ahead of him, half hidden by the gloom. “You'll be fine from here, I assume?” He gestured at the woods.

“Mm – only the owls are awake at this time of night, and I smell enough like the garou that they won't bother me.” She nodded, and then let out a sigh as she lowered the hood and looked at Leo. “... This will likely be the only time we speak like this. It's not out of offense to you or your sister, but …” Hinoka averted her gaze. “... but if my family were to somehow get word of my survival, I don't want them to pressure you for my whereabouts, or even for them to think you had any contact with me.”

“And if Camilla and I were to make frequent trips out here … that'd raise suspicion.” Leo gave an understanding nod. “Fair enough – Camilla will still want to see you at least once, I suspect, but I'll explain your reasoning for your solitude.”

“... Thank you, Leo.” Hinoka's voice was relieved when she spoke, her eyes returning to Leo's. “I … know it's not an ideal situation, but it's the one I can see working best.”

“For that, I respect you,” Leo nodded once again, and a soft smile crossed his face; concern for others, even in the face of all this ... “And … I think I understand why my brother loved you so dearly.” He allowed himself to smile more at the way Hinoka looked away in a rush, flustered, before he gave a bow from the waist. “But I've kept you long enough; we should both be abed by now.”

A smile crossed Hinoka's face, and she returned the bow with one of her own. “Mm – you in particular have a long day tomorrow, from the sound of it. I wish you the best of luck in your task, and safe travels back to your home.”

“Hah, thank you … sister.”

When Leo looked up, he was greeted with a shocked look, even as a smile spread across the woman's face. She didn't seem to have any words left to say, holding herself back from approaching Leo and holding him – he wagered that she was afraid she wouldn't want to leave if she did so. To save her from the struggle, he offered her a smile of his own as he turned around and headed back into camp. When he looked over his shoulder, Hinoka had disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared, and Leo was only mildly surprised at the twinge of pain it caused him.

Perhaps this _was_ the safest way … but it wasn't the kindest.

 

* * *

 Over the next few days, the Nohrian forces scoured the woods in search of the stolen goods they had originally been sent to find. There weren't too many caches, and the troop was ready to return to Windmire by the end of the fourth day. Leo dutifully cataloged everything that they had recovered, and set about preparing for the two week's worth of riding that had to be done to return home.

The garou had kept to themselves, mostly settled on the edges of the woods to watch the human soldiers at their work. Some of the younger pack members would approach with food or water, and some would lead them to the caches that they had found in pursuit of slippery, underground prey, but for the most part opted to observe.

Leo didn't catch a glimpse of either Siegbert or his mother the entire time.

So it was to his great surprise (and well-contained delight) that Leo found himself looking at his nephew the morning they were set to ride to the capitol.

Siegbert himself seemed a touch wary as he stood there with a black pegasus, holding onto a length of rope he had managed to work into a makeshift harness. A small group of bags rested on a blanket on his steed's back, and the teenager had a small pack slung over one shoulder, but that appeared to be all he possessed at the moment.

Garnet eyes darted around for a moment before Siegbert seemed willing to meet his uncle's gaze. “I ah … talked with Mother. About everything,” he began, voice still as quiet as it had been during their first conversation. “When she explained it to me, she mentioned I could come with you if I wanted … but I'm not fully certain it'd be smart if I went directly to Windmire with you.”

Leo folded his arms behind his back, wondering how best to respond as he made sure the two of them were alone. “You wouldn't be wrong,” he admitted. “I would still have to break the news to your aunt, and it would be for the best if you weren't in the same room when I broke the news. I fear your ribs would … greatly protest how tight her hugs would be. Or how much dogpiling you'd be on the receiving end of from your cousins.”

He was amused when a very undignified snort left Siegbert's mouth. “When you've been wrestling with garou as long as you can remember, that's nothing. … at least, I would _assume_ it wouldn't be any worse than what I'm already used to.”

“You would know your own limits better than I would, I will give you that much, but you have yet to meet your Aunt Camilla.” Leo sighed and shook his head before making eye contact with Siegbert again. “But on a less … personal note, it'd be of little use – the only real unit in the military that trains pegasus riders is in Macarath, and that's between us and Windmire. Taking you to the capitol to only make you double back in the long run is … rather pointless and cruel to your friend here,” he gestured at the pegasus.

“Her name's Homura,” Siegbert shrugged. “Or at least, that's what I call her – sunlight hits her coat and mane just right and it looks like it's ablaze.”

Leo smiled at that. “Your father often expressed similar logic about his naming choices,” he admitted, pondering once again on what had prompted Hinoka to give her son his name. It wasn't exactly a common Nohrian name, so unless she had somehow gotten access to a Nohrian history tome – which Leo wasn't discounting – he was willing to wager the woman had gone with something similar to Siegfried to connect her son to his father, and that was as close as she could get without ripping open an unhealed wound.

Siegbert's eyes seemed to light up a bit, a shy smile on his mouth as he shifted his grip on the lead rope. “Really now?” He asked, clearly struggling to keep his excitement contained. At Leo's nod, the teenager bit his lower lip and looked away for a moment before he resumed speaking. “... Could you tell me about him some, if we get a chance?” He asked. “Mother spoke of him often, but she always seemed so sad ...”

“Your mother just seems to need more time to heal,” Leo admitted, his eyes drifting to look at the forest. Siegbert followed his actions, and the prince let out a small sigh. “Not that I wager she'd admit it to anyone; from what little time I spent talking to her, she seemed as stubborn as a stone.”

“Funny – she says the same about me,” Siegbert chuckled. “I suppose it's a family trait, if that's the case.”

Leo let a mock groan cross his lips. “Gods, that means you have it from both ends,” he bemoaned, which earned him more chuckles. “Just … don't give the Dark Falcons too many headaches and I won't have to recommend you be put on latrine duty every other week.” The chuckles turned into full out laughter, and Leo allowed himself a smile at the sound.

“... Camilla and I won't be allowed to be so openly affectionate with you once we leave this area, sadly,” he explained, and was relieved to see a nod of understanding.

“Mm … Mother mentioned that too,” Siegbert's garnet eyes looked back at Leo's russet ones, a determined light burning in the depths. “But … I'll manage; it'll be easier on everyone in the long run if we keep my heritage down low, after all. Besides, I'm not lying when I say my father died in the war between Nohr and Hoshido.”

“By all technicality, it's a lie of omission, but it's not worth splitting hairs over.” Leo shrugged. A glance over his shoulder later, and he could see soldiers beginning to tumble out of their tents. “And they're all getting up – you and Homura head over to where the rest of the mounts are stationed, and I'll inform the men that you'll be accompanying us to Windmire,” he instructed, waiting until Siegbert had nodded before continuing, “and I'll tell Lazlow in private not to make a fuss over you. He'll understand.” Another nod answered him, and Leo smiled. “Well, you're certainly an agreeable sort, aren't you? Now, get going.”

“Right.” Siegbert gave a nod and bowed, not once dropping Homura's lead rope even as he straightened up and offered Leo a shy smile. “And … thank you, uncle.”

Leo waved the teenager off with a smile, even as he fought to keep his cheeks from turning too obviously pink in the morning light. When he looked again, Siegbert had begun to lead his pegasus away, hands gentle as he talked to the mare. It was nostalgic in a bittersweet way, but Leo could feel a warmth settle in his chest all the same.

He watched the two for a moment before he turned to face the forest fully, a wry smile on his face. He knew that Hinoka was somewhere within the depths of the woods, watching the skyline as her son began to make his own way in life beyond the shadows of a war that had ripped their family apart.

She would be worried, and for good reason; worried for her son's chances, of what road the boy might take, of what time would reveal as his features took more after his late father. There would be shadows and secrecy, and the odds of the family fully reuniting were slim, but Leo could feel a glimmer of hope and comfort in his heart again.

So with a small chuckle, he turned on his heel away from the forest and headed into camp, eyes darting to where Siegbert was introducing Homura to the other mounts. One of the draught horses seemed eager to chew on his flame red hair, causing the teen to turn and scold it even as a stablehand approached to diffuse the situation. He would be fine.

Of that, Leo had no doubt.

The prince smiled, and began to mentally plan how he would tell Camilla the news.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was sadly not a situation that could be resolved as neatly as the canon ending of Birthright would like; Hinoka knew she was caught between a rock and a hard place, and reconciles her indecisiveness with a self-imposed exile to a remote forest instead of her husband's family. 
> 
> She seems like the type who would do that, at elast to me. 
> 
> Either way, would you lot like to see more of this universe? I have a few ideas kicking around for one or two shots (as seen by the hints of Camilla and Odin's marriage in this chapter), and a semi-solid idea for taking a sort of Heirs of Fate approach with this universe's second generation. Or at least a good majority of them. 
> 
> But yeah, drop a note if you'd like to see more from this verse! ... and any suggestions on what to call it.

**Author's Note:**

> This sort of situation is interesting to think of with Leo because he's so much more rational than Camilla, even though I love her dearly. I can't imagine her being able to keep quiet about who Siegbert was the moment she registered she was looking at a tiny, redhead version of her beloved older brother. 
> 
> Lazlow [and Peri for that matter] is alive because I rushed Chapter 26 in my Birthright playthrough, so my units got nowhere close to killing him. 
> 
> And I know the English name is 'wolfskin'; I just personally like the sound of "Garou" more.


End file.
